2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development focus of OSCE-organized Aarhus Centres meeting in Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan
ISSYK-KUL, Kyrgyzstan, 20 September 2018 - The Aarhus Centres and Public Environmental Information Centres from 15 countries concluded today in Issyk-Kul a two-day meeting on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its goals.
“The Aarhus Centres represent a bridge between government authorities and civil society and offer a platform for dialogue on various issues in the field of environmental protection,” said Arsen Ryspekov, the Deputy Director of the State Agency for Environment Protection and Forestry of Kyrgyzstan.
Referring to the role of Aarhus Centres in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, Pierre von Arx said: “The Aarhus Centres provide a solid framework for governments to engage the public effectively to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Their contribution to promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development deserves special recognition.”
Esra Buttanri, Senior Environmental Affairs Adviser at the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, said that the Aarhus Centres and Public Environmental Information Centres are instrumental in turning global environmental commitments into concrete action on the ground. “Their support for stakeholder engagement in uranium legacy remediation in Central Asia or their activities in reinforcing community-based disaster risk reduction are some examples of the Aarhus Centres’ accomplishments towards several SDGs.”
Maryna Yanush, the representative of the UNECE Aarhus Convention Secretariat, said: “The work of the Aarhus Centres, which includes promotion of effective and inclusive engagement of the public, local communities, academia and other stakeholders in environmental and sustainable development matters, can strengthen and complement the ability of the governments to achieve SDGs.”
The meeting concluded with a visit to the site of a successful example of a clean-up campaign conducted jointly by the local authorities and the Aarhus Centre in Issyk-Kul with the support of the Finnish Water Institute.
The OSCE has been supporting the establishment and operation of a network of Aarhus Centres since 2002. Currently, a wide network of Aarhus Centres in 14 OSCE participating States disseminate environmental information, ensure public participation in decision-making, and facilitate access to justice. They also provide platforms to engage citizens, governments and the private sector in a dialogue on environmental challenges.
The 2018 Aarhus Centres Annual Meeting was organized jointly by the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities.